How Writers Can Adopt Semantic SEO Strategies

By now many writers understand that SEO is a great place to find new work and learn new ways of writing. While it isn’t for everyone, many write for companies with SEO in mind while keeping their creative writing on the side. Regardless of how you might define yourself as a writer, it’s safe to say that most understand the idea of semantics. In fact, writers are probably one of the groups out there that understand semantics and the beauty of semantics the best.

This idea is now being brought into the SEO world as a way to make writing and linking within that writing more natural. Google is starting to change its algorithm to detect words around a link as opposed to the word that is the link (also known as the anchor text). This then leads to that simple question: How do semantics really work for SEO, and what strategies are writers going to need to change to adapt?

What Is Semantic SEO?

Semantic SEO comes from semantic search (no surprise there). Semantic search is essentially a way that Google arranges its SERPs based on synonyms of the keyword term. This offers the best results to the user because it widens the scope of choices. Take the following example:

Let’s say I type in the word “house”. I wouldn’t just get entries that included the word “house.” Google is going to pull up results that are related (not only synonyms). Terms such as real estate, property, for sale, or décor might appear.

Semantic SEO, therefore, is a way of writing with related keyword terms in mind. This means that you can optimize a piece of content for more than just one keyword term.

Why Semantic SEO is an Important Concept for Writers

Understanding this concept is particularly important for writers because it truly has everything to do with the way a piece of content is worded. Writers need to understand semantic SEO so that he/she knows how to write with synonyms in mind as opposed to just writing with keywords. As SEO changes, writers are going to have to adapt, and this seems to be one of the first (and most major) tests for SEO writers today.

Are you an SEO writer who has had to focus on semantic SEO while writing? Has it been difficult? Let us know your story and your thoughts in the comments below.

Amanda DiSilvestro gives small business and entrepreneurs SEO advice ranging from keyword density to recovering from algorithm updates. She writes for Higher Visibility, a nationally recognized SEO consulting firm that offers national and local SEO services to a wide range of companies across the country. Click here to learn more.